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Education in the Netherlands East-Indies, Dirk Teeuwen MSc 1. Native primary and vocational education, Western primary education

P1. Pupils in a school of the Moerid Muhammadya Society, founded in 1914, at Jokyakarta 1924. The

society had as an objective the establishment of Islamitic institutions: schools, hospitals, people’s banks, libraries, etc.

The problem of education in the Netherlands East-Indies was a complicated

one, because of the divergent needs and conditions of life of the heterogeneous

populations. The standard of civilization presented all the intermediate shades

displayed between the most primitive “savage” and the highest civilized groups

of people.

P2. A class from a primary school for native girls, Batavia 1921. This school was established by

the (Javanese) Budi Utomo Society.

Dirk Teeuwen 2015

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The aim of the article is to give an impression of the serious efforts of the Dutch

colonial government in the first half of the twentieth century to introduce a

system of education for everybody. This article is based on the legislation from

1893, 1906 and 1915. The attention from the colonial Government authorities

(Government for short or, in Dutch “Gouvernement”) for the sake of education

during the nineteenth century is outside the scope of this article. To make a

long story short I (DT) shall name the colonial authorities “Government”,

“Gouvernement” in Dutch.

A reorganization of education for natives was carried through in 1906:

a. the set-up of schools for native primary education in the industrial and

commercial districts;

b. the set-up of European schools, the so-called Dutch-vernacular schools.

ad a.

In general the native primary schools consisted of five scholastic years. A sixth

year with a commercial-agricultural curriculum could be added. Also in 1906

municipal popular schools, so-called desa-schools, were established to satisfy

the elementary wants of the rural population. Desa-schools were mainly

founded to combat illiteracy. The curriculum of desa-schools (reading, writing,

ciphering, hygiene, animals and plants, etc.) was simple and was worked off

within three years.

Also a continuation in transitional classes, between the desa-schools (1. in

survey A) and the native primary schools (2.) (4.) (5.), were established. The

continuation classes gave the opportunity to pupils to attend a complete course

of primary instruction.

The native second class schools claimed higher requirements. The duration of

the courses were four to five years.

Ad b.

The European schools concorded with similar schools in the Netherlands. The

education had to be in correspondence with similar institutes in Holland. These

schools adapted the needs of colonial life, but also accepted the Dutch

standards at the same time.

Western education was given in three different types of elementary

schools: European, Dutch-Chinese and Dutch-vernacular. The curriculum lasted

seven years and Dutch was introduced as a vehicle from the lowest classes

onwards. The native language (Javanese, Sundanese, Chinese, etc.) was taught

also. However, because of Dutch as a vehicle in Western secondary schools, the

instruction in Dutch was one of the main branches.

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Survey A

ad a. Primary and secundary native education (Malay-vernacular):

1. Desa-

schools

(linking with

2. and 4.)

2. Link-schools for

native girls (linking

with 3.)

4. Native primary schools

5. (Link-schools

linking with 3. and 6.)

3. Native primary

vocational education:

training schools for

teachers, nurses, technical

instructers

6. Western primary vocational

education:

training schools for technical

and cultural engineers,

Chinese and native teachers

Note: 5. was linked also with Western secundary education in behalf of

highly talented native students. Ad b. Western Primary education:

Western primary education

1. Native schools

Dutch as a

vehicular

language

2. Chinese

schools

Dutch as a

vehicular

language

3. European

schools

Dutch as a

vehicular

language

Dirk Teeuwen 2015

3. The Kartini-school for native girls, Batavia 1924.

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2. Western secundary education, Western universities

and colleges In the Netherlands East-Indies continued secondary instruction was imparted in

a type of school, called General Secondary School. The General Secondary

School consisted of several sections. At first the Continued Primary Education, Mulo-section in Dutch, disposed over a

curriculum lasting three years. (See “note” in survey A.) This Mulo-section gave

admittance to a Superstructure, likewise lasting three years, where

preparatory higher instruction was given.:

-section Aa, the oriental-literary section, where Javanese, Malay, Indian history

of culture and art was taught.

-section Ab, The western-classical section, comprising latin and antique cultural

history.

-section B, the mathematical and physical sections.

These schools, which were adapted to the wants of the homeborn students

(specially natives and Chinamen) were organized on the the same level as the

Dutch schools for Continued and Preparatory Higher Education (in Dutch:

Hogere Burgerschool HBS and Gymnasium) in the Netherlands East-Indies and

in Holland and as such they also gave admittance to the Universities in Holland.

Survey B Secundary education

Dirk Teeuwen 2015

1. Continued Primary Education (Mulo), see “note” in survey A

(linking with Superstructures 2,3,4)

Superstructures I

2. Section Aa

Oriental literature

In Dutch:

oosters-literair

Prepatory higher

instruction

Linking with 5

3. Section Ab

Western-classical

education

In Dutch: westerse

klassieken

Prepatory higher

instruction

Linking with 5

4. Section B

mathematics and

physics

In Dutch: wis- en

natuurkunde

Prepatory higher

instruction

Linking with 5

Superstructures II

5. Continued and Prepatory Higher Education (HBS; grammar

schoolgymnasium, in Dutch gymnasium) in the Netherlands

East-Indies and in Holland

Linking with 6

6. Universities in the Netherlands East-Indies and in Holland

In Dutch: universiteiten and hogescholen (hogescholen: a typical

Dutch phenomenon, mostly specialized academic education in

technics, law or economics)

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There were three institutions giving university training in the Netherlands East-

Indies: a technical -, a law – and a medical school. These faculties had adopted

the scientific standard as similar faculties in Holland.

The University for Technics / Technische Hogeschool in Bandoeng had a

course lasting four years. In 1928 the school was frequented by 75 students (50

Europeans, 20 Natives, 5 Chinese). The University for Law / Rechtshogeschool

in Weltevreden, Jakarta /Batavia had a course lasting five years. In 1928 the

number of students amounted to 138 (40 Europeans, 75 Natives, 23 Chinese).

The University for the Study of Medicine/ Medische Hogeschool with a seven-

years’ course was opened in Weltevreden in 1927. The opening of this High

School resulted in the abolishment of one of the two professional schools for

doctors. The number of students in the two medical schools (Weltevreden and

Surabaya / Soerabaya) amounted to 46 (14 Europeans, 17 Natives, 15

Chinese).

3. Professional schools. Linked with primary schools / link schools (see survey A) and with continued

primary education (see survey C) there were a number of schools in the

Netherlands East-Indies, wich offered the opportunity to pupils of all

nationalities to train themselves for social professions: the training of civil

officers, teachers as well as medical, veterinary, commercial, technical

education, etc.

We take elementary technical training for an example. With possibilities for

economic development in view professional schools for natives were

established since 1909. The aim was to give natives the opportunity of learning

a handicraft: (limited) general education, carpentry, fitting, forging,

professional drawing. The pupils could easily find employment. Native craft

schools were established also in centres were industrial arts already existed.

Artisans were trained locally in these schools, allowing them to find

employment in their own region or to open private workshops in the

neighbourhood.

The following is an enumeration of this kind of technical and professional

schools established in the Netherlands East-Indies around 1930. There were

five public technical / professional schools (duration four years) as well as

twenty-nine native and branch schools (duration three or two years). Clerical

organizations and private enterprises, such as sugar mills, organized seventeen

private professional schools (duration mostly three years).

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Survey C Professional schools, continued instruction

Secondary vocational education

2. Native medical instruction

3. Secundary agricultural instruction

4. Training of civil servants

5. Native law

6. Veterinary college

7. Training of teachers

8. Nautical training

9. Secundary technical instruction Survey D Summary

Secondary vocational

instruction (7)

-Secundary Superstructures,

HBS and grammar schools, etc.

(8a)

- Universities (8b)

Primary

Continued

Education, Mulo

(6)

linking with 7,

8a

Primary vocational

education, native

(4a) and western

(4b)

Link-schools (3b)

linking with 4a, 4b,

6

Link-schools for

native girls (3a)

linking with 4a

Native primary

education (2)

Desa-schools (1)

Linking with 2 in

continuation

classes

Western primary education (5)

-native schools

-European schools

-Chinese schools

linking with 6 and 8a

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Ending

1. Continued primary education

(Mulo);

linking with secondary

vocational education

2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9